Stokes seeks dominant comeback as all-rounder
Among the big question marks for England ahead of a packed upcoming home summer, is the return to fitness of red-ball skipper Ben Stokes.
Stokes was confirmed as the England captain for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe starting May 21, which will be followed by a five-Test series against India starting June 20 - marking the beginning of the next ICC World Test Championship cycle.
There are doubts on whether the 33-year-old can go full-throttle as an all-rounder after recovering from a nasty hamstring injury during the Hamilton Test in New Zealand back in December.
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Stokes however, is confident he can make a roaring comeback for England in whites.
"I feel great. Training and playing are completely different. No matter what you do at training, you cannot replicate the intensity your body is put through in a game,' he told Sky Sports.
'As excited as I am to get back on the field I do know it's going to be different to my training.
"But in terms of my role as a player, that full seamer, batting at six, trying to dominate every situation I find myself whether I've got a bat or ball in my hand is what I want to get back doing out on the field, on the biggest stage.
'I know I've done it before, it's something I'm very confident in myself, I can do (it)."
Elaborating on what he believes was 'one of the longest rehab periods of his career', the England captain shared that he is at the back end of his recovery process.
"I always work hard," Stokes said. "My ethos when I'm injured is I come back fitter than I was before I got injured.
"I've worked incredibly hard on all aspects of everything, from my cricket to fitness, and know I'm going to be in a position when I am back on the field to potentially be in physically the best possible shape I have been in."
"I'm not fully through that yet but we're at the back end of the four-month period, and I'm excited to get back to playing this summer."
Stokes has been appointed captain of a 13-member squad for the Test against Zimbabwe - the first between the two countries in England since 2003.
v Zimbabwe
One-off Test: May 22 - May 25, Trent Bridge
v India
First Test: June 20 - June 24, Headingley
Second Test: July 2 - July 6, Edgbaston
Third Test: July 10 - July 14, Lord's
Fourth Test: July 23 - July 27, Manchester
Fifth Test: July 31 - August 4 - The Kia Oval
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